The good news is, we are still open for business and fully prepared to move ahead with the many benefit shows and educational events we had planned for this week.  Unfortunately, we need your help raising money to replace our window!

Great news – you can now see all the events we’re hosting for the current month at a glance, in calendar format, with no scrolling!  Want to see events happening in the past or the future?  No problem!  Just click on the arrow to the right or the left, to look at the next month or the previous month.  Or, you can choose any month from the dropdown menu.

Hovering over the title of any event will display the essential information: date, time, and a brief description.  If you’d like more detailed information, click on the title to go to that event’s individual page.  There you can see a full description, photo or flyer, and info on the organizer as well as their contact info (if applicable).

Also new: you can now see a list of upcoming events from any screen.  Just check out the sidebar on the right side of your screen!  It will list up to 5 events, with the option to get more detailed information (by clicking on the title) or seeing all events for that given month.

We hope this will be an easier to read, and much more functional way of communicating our events to you.  And if you’re looking to book an event, we strongly encourage you to check out the month you’re looking at, to see which dates have already been booked.  Enjoy!

Title: Red and Black Café Collective Member
Please read the whole ad!

NOTE: The position is open until filled. We are willing to wait for the right candidate, and we cannot guarantee a specific start-date. But please apply early! We will close hiring whenever we receive enough strong applications.

About the Red & Black Café:

We are a worker-owned, collectively–managed, IWW-member vegan café. We are open from 10 am until 10 pm every day, and we often host performances and events in the evening.

About the Job:

Shift Work:

All workers are expected to provide customer service, run the register, make espresso drinks and other beverages, prepare food orders, wash dishes, and clean! There is also an opportunity to work the occasional kitchen prep shift. Strong multi-tasking skills are absolutely essential.

As worker-owners, we share responsibility for the cafe’s success. On shift, this means holding ourselves and one another to high standards, being thorough and efficient in our work, and communicating effectively.

Most shifts are 5-7 hours long. You should be open to working a variety of shifts. Do not apply unless you want to work at least 4 days per week.

Meetings and Management Work:

All workers are required to attend biweekly collective meetings. We make decisions by consensus, so an ability to compromise and collaborate is a must!

All workers are expected to participate in the management of the cafe. In order to become a collective member, workers must participate on at least one of the following management committees:

• Ordering & Pricing
• Maintenance & Tech Support
• Bookkeeping & Finances
• Event and Art Booking
• Advertising & Outreach
• Personnel
• Other ad hoc committees formed as needed

Most committees meet at least once a month. Members typically spend an additional 3-7 hours per week fulfilling management duties. We are especially in need of new members with experience or interest in bookkeeping / financial management, ordering and pricing, and personnel development.

We often use e-mail and an online project management site (Crabgrass, at we.riseup.net) to communicate in between meetings, draft documents, and store files. All workers must be willing to check e-mail and Crabgrass most days in order to stay informed. Thanks to the Free Geek collective, we have 4 Linux-based computers at the cafe (2 free computers in the dining room plus a desktop and a laptop for workers to use).

What to Expect:

As a new hire, you will be considered a “sub.” We will be able to offer you at least 3 shifts / week to start, with an opportunity to work 4-5 shifts / week later in the spring. We repeat: do not apply unless you want to work at least 4 days per week.

As a new hire, you will be required to attend biweekly collective meetings. You will not be empowered to block consensus decisions yet, but your opinions will always be taken into consideration. Participation is strongly encouraged.  After working for 6 months and with the unanimous approval of the collective members, you can become a collective member (co-manager). At this point, you will be able to vote in collective meetings.

In order to become a co-owner, you must invest 111 hours of “sweat equity” (unpaid labor). You may do this over the course of a year or longer if desired. We may eventually require a cash buy-in, which could be paid in small increments. After working for 1 year and with the unanimous approval of all co-managers, you may become a co-owner.

You will be asked to make at least a 1-year commitment. An ability to stay on for two, three, or several years is even better, because it often takes new members a while to become deeply involved in the management. We need co-managers and co-owners, not just folks who are willing to fill shifts.

We are a closed IWW shop, so if you are not a member of the Industrial Workers of the World you will be asked to join! Dues are $9 / month. You may choose to attend union meetings and participate in other union activities, but this is not required. You can find out more about the IWW and the Portland branch here: portlandiww.org.

Compensation:

Shift work is paid at $8.80 / hour plus tips.  Each worker can be paid for up to 4 hours of meetings OR committee work per month. Additional committee work is unpaid and recorded as “sweat equity.”  If the business is successful, these unpaid hours are reimbursed over a period of time after you leave the cafe in good standing.

How to Apply:

Please bring a resume and cover letter to the Red & Black Café at 400 SE 12th Ave.  Do not e-mail us your resume!  But if you have questions about the hiring process, feel free to write general@redandblackcafe.com.

In your cover letter, please address the following:

• Describe any past experience working with collectives.
• Describe past experience with consensus decision making.
• Describe past food service experience.
• What skills can you bring to the collective? Include any skills related to food service, business management, and any of our committees listed above.
• Are you able to make at least a 1-year commitment? How does working at the Red and Black fit in with your long-term goals?
• How many hours per week are you able to work? Do you have any schedule restrictions? Do you expect your availability to change within the next year?